Tennis Coaching Staff
Sandy Garry
Head
Women's Tennis Coach
garr3522@pacificu.edu
Sandy Garry, a longtime high school tennis coach and local tournament player, is in her third season as the head coach for the Pacific women's program.
Garry came to Forest Grove after 10 seasons as the head girls' tennis coach at Westview High School in Hillsboro.
"In Sandy, I believe that we have found a person who is committed to the growth of the Pacific tennis program," Director of Athletics Ken Schumann said. "I believe that Sandy will build our women's tennis program into a contender in the Northwest Conference over the next several years."
In 2007, Garry saw significant growth in a young Pacific program as the team won it's first dual match since 2001, taking a 5-4 victory over Northwest Conference rival George Fox.
Prior to arriving at Pacific, Garry coached the Westview program for 10 season, leading the team since the school's opening in 1995. She led the Wildcats to a pair of second place finishes in the Metro League and saw her teams finish no worse than fourth in her 10 seasons. In 2005 Garry led the Wildcats to an 11th place finish at the OSAA/U.S. Bank 4A State Girls' Tennis Championships.
"It is interesting seeing what the talent is like at the Division III level, but I know that it is a very good level of play," said Garry, who has coached a number of players who have gone on to collegiate playing careers. "Hopefully we can continue to build the talent we have here and bring in new talent to complement the program."
Garry played high school tennis at Marysville (Wash.) High School and Eugene's Churchill High School. A longtime resident of the Portland area, Garry has played in tennis tournaments locally over the last 20 years. When not coaching, Garry is employed as an inventory management associate with The Home Depot.
Brian Jackson
Head
Men's Tennis Coach
BrianJackson@pacificu.edu
Brian Jackson enters his first season as Pacific's head men's tennis coach, bringing to the program valuable playing and coaching experience at the Division I and elite levels of the sport.
Jackson, 32, has been an assistant professor of exercise science at Pacific since 2004 and adds coaching to his academic duties.
"I have been eager to get involved with this program since coming to Pacific," Jackson said. "After three years, I feel that I have my academic career headed in the right direction and am ready to resurrect my coaching career. With the addition of Sandy (Garry) as the women's coach, and a team full of young players, I feel that the time is right to turn Pacific tennis around."
Jackson brings to the Boxers a wealth of playing and coaching experience to the program. After a successful high school career, Jackson played four years of Division I tennis at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. He was the team captain in 1996-97 and was selected as the team's most valuable player. He continues to play tennis in local tournaments and in United States Tennis Association (USTA) leagues.
Upon graduation from UNC-Wilmington, Jackson spent two years as an assistant men's & women's tennis coach at East Carolina University while pursuing his master's degree. He moved on to the Atlantic Coast Athletic Club in Charlottesville, Va., where he served four years as a tennis instructor and fitness specialist. He has also served as a visiting professional at both the Wintergreen Resort in Wintergreen, Va., and the Skagen Tennis Club in Denmark.
While a professor in exercise science, Jackson also has an interest in sports psychology. He has served as a mental skills coach for high school athletes in a variety of sports and has worked on mental coaching with Olympic-caliber kayakers.
Jackson received his bachelor's degree in psychology from UNC-Wilmington in 1997 and a master's degree in exercise and sports sciences from East Carolina in 1999. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in 2004 with an emphasis in motor learning.
Jackson has earned Professional 2 certification through the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA). He is also a member of the Oregon and American Alliances for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance and the Association of the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology. He and wife, Laura, live in Forest Grove.